The Calling
by Deenok
Summary: Set after the defeat of Meteor [as with all of 'em], our heroes are threatened by a new evil, and with the help of Gemina and a mystery person, can they learn to trust each other and themselves to overcome it? Please R&R!


"The Calling"  
  
By Sarah Longton  
  
  
  
She picked up the bottle.   
  
Can I do this…?  
  
She sighed gently, and her hand shook noticeably as she flipped off the lid, and tipped six pills onto her hand.   
  
She then lifted them to her mouth, closing her eyes and letting the small round tablets slip backwards into her open lips. Signing her name at the bottom of the note she'd just recently written, she grabbed a glass of water.   
  
The cold liquid trickled down her throat, sending the sleeping pills tumbling down after it.   
  
Laying down on the bed, she waited for something to happen. Eventually her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and the numbness in her hands too insignificant as she slowly slid into unconsciousness…  
  
***  
  
"OH MY GOD!!!" A loud screech filled the entire hallway, sending doors springing open and people flying into the corridor.   
  
"What happened, Maggie?" Sue, one of the cleaners at Shinra Inc. Headquarters, asked anxiously. She filed into a small room where a middle-aged woman, Maggie, was stood.   
  
"Th- this girl…!" Maggie turned to face Sue, a mask of horror spread across her face and her hands flung over her mouth.   
  
Sue took a few steps closer, looking over Maggie's shoulder. She gasped at the sight of the young woman laid flat on her back on the bed.   
  
She showed no signs of life.  
  
Sue quickly came to her senses and grabbed the girl's wrist.   
  
"There's still a pulse! Call an ambulance, now!" Sue yelled, giving Maggie an urgent look. Maggie waddled out of the room as fast as she could.   
  
Sue knelt down beside the bed, to get a better view of the girl.   
  
She was in her late teens or early twenties, and had long blonde hair. The colour of her eyes was hidden, as they were closed.   
  
Sue brushed a stray lock of golden hair out of the girls face, sighing.   
  
She looked around the room, and seeing the folded note and sleeping pills on the table, she instantly guessed what had happened.  
  
When I was that age, I never even contemplated suicide…   
  
Reaching out for the note, Sue grabbed it and unfolded it, her blue eyes scanning the page.  
  
'I'm so sorry to the few people who knew me, or the even smaller number who liked me. I couldn't take it any more. None of you would understand why I killed myself, whether I told you in life, or in death. You'd just call me crazy.   
I really do apologise, and it's none of your faults. You all made my short time in this life happy. Hopefully I'll have a better time in Heaven, if that stuff about suicides going to Hell isn't true.   
I'll watch over you all, always. (I'm a nosey bugger.)   
  
Signing Out,  
Gemina'  
  
Tears came to Sue's eyes as she read the scrap of paper.   
  
How could such a terrible thing happen to such a nice-sounding girl…?   
  
She heard a commotion outside, and turned her head towards the door. Three men in green medic suits came running in.   
  
"Where is she?" one of the medics asked urgently. Sue pointed towards Gemina.   
  
They lifted her up, and hoisted her onto a stretcher, being careful not to injure the young girl further.   
  
"We'll take it from here, ma'am. Thanks for the help." A young, tanned male medic smiled and waved at Sue. "Hopefully, we'll be able to save her in time. This will have been awfully traumatic, why don't you get some rest?"  
  
Sue returned the smile, and followed them out of the room. Outside, there was a large crowd.   
  
"Sue, Sue! What happened?" A middle aged man pushed his way through the crowd, and laid his hand on Sue's arm. She smiled at him.  
  
"Oh, Alfred. It was awful. She was a… a… a suicide." Sue sighed heavily, and Alfred smiled at her.  
  
"Get some rest." Sue nodded, and decided that she would. She'd pray for that girl…  
  
***  
  
"Out of the way! This is an emergency!"   
  
The large trolley was allowed passage through the corridors of the hospital, and it pushed through the doors of a ward.   
  
"Come on! We need a stomach pump, stat!" A large doctor with a small pair of glasses hanging off of his nose, and a long white coat, shouted out orders to nurses and other doctors.   
  
"Sir!" He took no notice. "SIR!" He abruptly turned around to see a small nurse. "The heart rate is dropping! I think we're gonna lose her…" He shook his head furiously.   
  
"No! We're gunna save her."   
  
He turned his attention back to the young girl laid out on the table.   
  
Come on… don't die on me…  
  
***  
  
Cloud's large Ultima Weapon swished through the air, narrowly missing a Nibel Wolf's head.   
  
Crap, crap, crap…  
  
It lunged at him, baring its teeth and growling.  
  
Cloud quickly dodged out of the way, knocking the wolf out with the flat end of his sword. A thin trickle of blood emerged from its head, and it's chest stopped heaving, telling him that it was dead.   
  
Cloud sheathed his sword, and headed back towards Costa Del Sol. Another successful kill.   
  
Suddenly, he fell to the ground, clutching his head.   
  
"Holy shit!" he yelled, as the terrible feeling of the migraines came back. It was just over 2 months since he'd last had one…  
  
As the pain intensified, a feeling like being hit by a lightning bolt rippled through his body, and he began to shake.   
  
Cloud lost consciousness after about a minute.   
  
  
  
  
  
Huh? Where am I?  
  
Cloud stood in what seemed to be the middle of a forest. All he could see was green, except for the occasional flower peeping its head round a huge leaf.   
  
Another dream…?  
  
Cloud had been having a lot of dreams recently. All about the same thing.   
  
Aeris…  
  
He waited for the flower girl to appear, as most of his waking dreams contained her. Either her or some huge beast which he couldn't name, for he had never seen it before in his life.   
  
He heard a rustle in the bushes behind him, and swung round. There she stood.   
  
Aeris was wearing her usual pink dress and red jacket, with a pink ribbon tying her hair back from her face.   
  
Cloud smiled at the flower girl, and she returned the gesture. She leaned slowly towards him.  
  
"Cloud, you have to destroy it. Before it destroys something far more precious…"  
  
He frowned. What was she talking about?  
  
"The beast, it must be killed. It will not rest until it has served its purpose, and then it will kill mercilessly."  
  
"What beast?" Cloud asked, his confusion displayed on his face.  
  
"The beast from your dreams. Now, come closer." Cloud leaned towards Aeris, curious as to what she wanted. She suddenly grabbed his hand, and his vision went black.   
  
Suddenly, he could hear a faint beeping. It was like… machines. He could see again, but instead of being in a forest with Aeris, he was suspended in mid-air, in a hospital ward. He looked around. He heard Aeris' voice in his head.  
  
She's down there… the one below you…  
  
Cloud looked down, and saw a young blonde girl, who looked very pale.   
  
She plays a key role in this. It's her you have to save from the beast…   
  
  
  
  
  
Cloud's vision went black again, and he found himself lying on a familiar sandy beach.   
  
"Costa del Sol…" he murmured, remembering where he was before the dream.   
  
Getting up, he rubbed his temples. The pain was gone, but he remembered everything.  
  
Which hospital…? He pondered, walking towards his villa. Tifa may know.  
  
When he arrived at the bar-cum-villa, Tifa flashed him a warm smile.   
  
"Hey Cloud," she said cheerily. He smiled back.   
  
"Hey Tifa." He approached her. "I just had a… a dream." She made an 'o' shape with her mouth, a questioning look in her eyes. "Well, Aeris was telling me that there was a beast. It wouldn't stop until it had completed its task, and its task was to kill a girl, I think. Well, this girl was in a hospital, and I'm not sure which one. I wondered if you knew, so I could… check it out." Tifa shrugged.   
  
"What was it like?"   
  
"Well, it was… white." Tifa raised one eyebrow. "And, it had a doctor, I saw his badge. I think the name was… Doctor Kamath."   
  
"Oh yeah. I know him." Cloud sighed with relief, and Tifa grinned. "Better get our stuff, hadn't we?" Cloud furrowed his brow.   
  
"No, I have a feeling it'll be dangerous. You stay here."  
  
Tifa placed her hands on her hips.   
  
"I am not staying here while you go getting yourself into danger. Plus, I wanna know what's going on too."  
  
"But you could-"  
  
"Cloud, I am old enough to take care of myself. Besides, I could help you."  
  
Tifa had a pleading look in her eyes, and Cloud groaned.  
  
"Fine, fine." He caved in, and Tifa ran to pack a bag. Cloud headed behind the bar, going in the direction of his room.   
  
He could hear Tifa humming, and he could hear the sounds of a backpack being packed. He entered his room, grabbing a rucksack.   
  
He picked up several things, dumping them into the bag.   
  
Spare clothes… money… materia… extra sword…   
  
A number of other items were flung into it, and he fastened the buckle.   
  
Cloud left his room, and saw Tifa standing, waiting for him.  
  
She was dressed in a pair of trousers, and a T-shirt. She had a fleece folded over her arm.  
  
"Come on, Cloud." They both turned and headed down the stairs, their boots making a 'thump' sound. Tifa pulled her ponytail a little bit tighter, and flung the fleece over her shoulders.   
  
"Where's this hospital? We'll probably need a lift." Cloud grinned, and Tifa looked thoughtful.   
  
"If I'm right, it should be in Midgar."  
  
Cloud winced. He hadn't been to Midgar for over a year, since Meteor's defeat. But if it was needed…   
  
"Ok, let's mosey!" Cloud pulled out his PHS, and tapped in a number.   
  
After a few seconds, someone answered.  
  
"Yes?" said a gruff voice.  
  
"Hey Cid. It's Cloud. Me and Tifa need a lift to Midgar."   
  
There was a few seconds silence.  
  
"Ok."   
  
Cid hung up.   
  
"Well?" Tifa asked. Cloud shrugged.   
  
"I guess he's coming to pick us up."  
  
***  
  
"#*^$in' Cloud needin' a lift to $(@^!* Midgar."  
  
Shera raised one eyebrow.   
  
"Cid, not in front of Cherie."   
  
"Sorry." He waved his hands about in front of his face. Giving Shera a kiss, he headed out of the door, mumbling profanities as he went.   
  
He clambered up the ladder into the Highwind, muttering more curses. He lit up a cigarette as he started up the engine.   
  
"$*&#, what I'd give for some tea."  
  
***  
  
Reno's snores filled his small room at Shinra Inc. Headquarters, as he lay on his bed, dreaming.   
  
Suddenly his dream changed from naked women to Aeris.   
  
  
  
  
"Aeris? What the hell are you doing in my dream?"  
  
Aeris shrugged.  
  
"I know we weren't great friends, but I have a message."  
  
"From who? Oh, jeez, you're not here to haunt me, are you?"  
  
"No. I'm here to tell you to get over to the hospital. Ward 6, there's a blonde girl who needs your help."  
  
"What kinda help?" Reno raised his eyebrow and smirked.   
  
"Not that kind of help. You just need to… talk to her. And find out why she tried to kill herself. She won't trust you, but tell her that you were a friend of Jym's."  
  
"Why should I? What do I get out of it?"  
  
"Well, you get to save her, and save a lot of lives, and, uhh…" seeing that Reno was losing interest, Aeris tried to think of something. "I'll convince the bartender at Turtle's Paradise to give you free booze for a month." Reno grinned.  
  
"You're on."   
  
Aeris gradually faded away, and Reno woke up. He rubbed his eyes.   
  
"Shit, I am not a morning person."   
  
***  
  
Gemina's eyes fluttered open.   
  
Am I in Heaven?  
  
Noticing all the machines, and the few doctors in the room, she began to panic.   
  
I'm not dead. No… please say I'm dead…  
  
The heart rate monitor next to her began to increase. The beeping got faster and faster.   
  
Flailing her arms and legs, Gemina began to shout.  
  
"Let me go!" Her voice was raspy, and a nurse entered the room. 'LET ME OUT!" The nurse and doctors all turned to face her, and noticed that she was trying to pull the tubes out of her arms and legs. They all rushed over, and the nurse pushed a red button.   
  
"Please, just let me out…" she whimpered, still struggling. But her arms soon began to tire, and the doctors pinned her down.   
  
"Now, now. Calm down, you're probably still in shock…"   
  
"No! I don't want to be here! I should be dead!" Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "I can't stand the voices… why did you bring me back?"   
  
Another doctor entered the room, holding a needle. He pressed it into her arm, injecting a fluid into her.  
  
"No, I don't want to sleep… it'll talk to me… Please. Stop. I don't want…" Gemina drifted into a quiet slumber.   
  
"She's a difficult one. What do you think she meant, 'the voices'? I'd sure like to know, and-"  
  
The nurse was interrupted by a tall doctor with glasses.   
  
"I don't care. Keep your nose out." He swept out of the room, and the woman began to grumble.  
  
"Stupid doctor, thinks he's superior, telling us all what to do and what to say…" She looked once more at Gemina, and wandered off.  
  
***  
  
Not again…  
  
Gemina sniffled, rubbing her eyes.   
  
"Please. Can't you leave me be. I don't want to hear you anymore."   
  
"But even in death, you would hear me. I am in need of your help."   
  
"Well I don't want to give you my help!"  
  
There was a moment of silence.   
  
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. But if you do not give it, you will die and-"  
  
"I don't care. I want to die anyway."  
  
"And others will die also. Innocents. Evil will rule supreme. And there will be no stopping it."   
  
She kept silent for a few more seconds.   
  
"If you reveal yourself to me, then I shall help you."  
  
"Very well."  
  
Gemina could just make out a man's figure walking towards her. From what she could see, he was tall, and had long hair.   
  
"Now will you help me?"  
  
Gemina screamed.   
  
"You- you're the one- the one that… tried to…"  
  
She finished. She couldn't say it. It was too terrible. He had…  
  
She continued to stare as fear crept through her. Stood in front of her, was Sephiroth.   
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Ick. That wasn't even suspense. Or anything like it. Geez, I hope the next chapter's better. There'll definitely be more Reno action. *grins* And we'll find out why Sephiroth wants Gemina's help. Or whatever. Okie, please review. Flames are welcome, but constructive criticism, please. And as always, good reviews are a blessing.   
  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters, places, etc. etc. are mine, they belong to ze ever wonderful Squaresoft. Only Gemina belongs to me. And Doctor Kamath. And Sue, and Maggie. You get the picture. All the stuff that wasn't in FF7 is mine, unless otherwise stated. Thanks! J   



End file.
